Wednesday, July 19, 2017

July 19,2017, 8:30:53AM,EDT

A monsoon low will lead to heavy rain and potential flooding across India into this weekend.
On
the heels of heavy rain and flooding across a large swath of India last
week, a monsoon low from the Bay of Bengal will cross India to bring a
new round of flooding.
Showers and thunderstorms brought
torrential rainfall to Odisha, Chhattisgarh, eastern Maharashtra and
northern Andhra Pradesh through Wednesday.

The downpours have already resulted
in numerous reports of flash flooding and at least four deaths across
Odisha, according to the Times of India.
Rainfall has totaled over 300 mm (12 inches) in Jagdalpur this week with widespread reports of around 100 mm (4 inches).
The
Nagavalli and the Kalyani rivers have risen at alarming rates
inundating vast areas, causing extensive damage to bridges and snapping
road and railway connectivity.
The rainstorm will track northwest
across the country, reaching Gujarat by this weekend. At least nine
people were killed in Gujarat from flooding last week. Additional
downpours will quickly create a dangerous situation across the state.
Rainfall
totals will average 100-200 mm (4-8 inches), with local amounts over
300 mm (12 inches) from northern Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to
Gujarat later this week.
The heaviest downpours will shift into
Madhya Pradesh and northern Maharashtra on Thursday and Friday before
moving into Gujarat this weekend.
Tropical cyclones and monsoon
lows are essential for bringing rainfall to India during the monsoon
season, but they can also threaten widespread flooding and increase the
risk for mudslides.
Farther north, New Delhi and the National
Capital Region will have the threat for a daily shower or thunderstorm,
but heavy rainfall is not expected to be widespread this week.RELATED:India Weather Center5 dangers to be aware of after a flood strikesDetailed Forecast for New Delhi
During the past several weeks, flooding in northeastern India has contributed to 90 deaths, according to the
Times of India
.
Assam was hit the hardest, with 69 lives lost in floods and landslides according to India.com.
Roughly 2 million people have been displaced, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal told Reuters.
The
city of North Lakhimpur was inundated with more than 340 mm (13 inches)
of rain last week. The Brahmaputra River and its tributaries
significantly overflowed their banks but have since started to recede.
The heavy rainfall in Assam also flooded more than half of the
Kaziranga National Park
, which is home to the world’s largest one-horned rhinoceros population.
Heavy
rainfall is not expected across Assam the next several days; however,
localized downpours can still result in additional flooding. The threat
for widespread downpours will return this weekend.